The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has asked President Bola Tinubu to focus on worsening economic conditions instead of mocking opposition parties.
In a statement by Bolaji Abdullahi on Friday, the party said the president’s recent comments reflected a disconnect from the realities facing Nigerians.
The ADC said what Nigerians saw was not the confidence of a leader in control, but “the anxiety of a president increasingly disconnected from the reality of hardship, insecurity, and frustration facing millions of citizens”.
The party said that at a time when Nigerians are grappling with rising cost of living, food inflation, and declining purchasing power, the president chose to ridicule the opposition rather than address pressing national concerns.
INSECURITY
It added that insecurity remains a major issue, noting that reports of children being abducted from examination centres surfaced around the same time the president made his remarks.
The ADC said Tinubu should be concerned that many Nigerians have rejected his government, blaming what it described as “ill-conceived policies” for worsening living conditions.
The party also dismissed claims about its national convention, insisting it did not hold any such gathering “on the street”.
Earlier, Tinubu had accused members of the opposition of “privatising another man’s party” while alleging that the ADC held its convention in the open.
Responding, the party said the president may have been misinformed, adding that even if opposition parties are forced to seek alternative venues, Nigerians understand the shrinking democratic space under the current administration.
The ADC also criticised what it described as contradictions in the president’s stance on separation of powers, accusing him of acting as both a political actor and a commentator on judicial matters.
It further alleged that institutions meant to serve as checks and balances, particularly the legislature, have been weakened under the current government.
The party said it remains focused on building what it described as a credible alternative for Nigerians ahead of future elections.
